Planting and fertilizing apparatus

ABSTRACT

A relatively compact and lightweight planting and fertilizing apparatus is attached to a small garden tractor by a universal hitch which restricts lateral movement between the two. The apparatus is spring biased downwardly to assure film contact with the ground, and can be raised above the ground by a single lever. The lever carries the biasing spring, and cams lifting bearings on the lever against a lifting plate on the apparatus. The fertilizer is fed by an axially adjustable feed gear rotated by a ground engaging wheel on the apparatus. The feed gear is biased by an adjusting spring against a threaded adjusting knob which sets the axial position of the feed gear.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 942,066, filed Sept. 13,1978, which is a division of application Ser. No. 714,282, filed Aug.13, 1976 and now U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,221.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to gardening, and more particularly to anapparatus for use with low power (7-18 hp) garden tractors for plantingand fertilizing small gardens, such as home vegetable gardens.

Although modern, large scale farming has long employed highlysophisticated machinery, much of this equipment is not readily adaptableto use on a small scale. A limited number of implements are known andavailable for small gardens, some hand powered and some designed for usewith small power units, such as modest sized garden tractors.Unfortunately, many of these represent little more than awkwardadaptations from larger sized commercial machinery, and areinappropriate at worst, and awkward and inconvenient at best.

Thus, there is little standardization and only nominalinterchangeability among many small garden components. Even the trailerhitches on small garden tractors, for example, show considerabledifferences. Wheel Horse uses a baring hitch; Massey Ferguson anelliptical plate; Ford a cross bar hitch.

As another example, fertilizer spreaders for small gardens should berapidly and easily adjustable, so that the rate of application can beeasily and frequently changed, as desired. This is important since onlysmall areas are planted in a given crop, so only small areas will befertilized at particular rates of application. Full or commercial sizefertilizing attachments need to be adjusted only infrequently, andtherefore usually lack provisions for quick and easy readjustments.

As still another example, in a home vegetable garden the rows arerelatively short, so the fertilizing apparatus must be liftedfrequently, as the tractor is turned, to interrupt feeding of thefertilizer. Full size garden tractors, of course, have hydraulic liftsfor raising the fertilizer spreader, but these are lacking in low powergarden tractors. Further, once lifted, the implement must be restrainedagainst swinging out of position, to one side or the other. This is notalways easy to do when tractor hitches show such variation.

As a result, small garden implements which have been adapted from largesize commercial machinery frequently lack provisions for easy raisingand lowering, for easy and frequent adjustment of the fertilizer feedrate, for attaching them to small tractors regardless of the hitch type,and for controlling their positions once they have been raised.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, the present invention provides a manually operable liftmechanism for lifting and lowering a relatively small gardeningapparatus, a hitch for attaching it to a small garden tractor (on theorder of 7-18 hp), and a feeder for feeding fertilizer at easilycontrolled and adjustable rates. The lift mechanism is operated by asingle handle which, when pulled, cams a pair of bearings against acurved lift plate. This forces the gardening apparatus to rotateupwardly about the pivot on which it is supported, thus lifting it offthe ground. When in the fully raised position, the bearings on thehandle move beneath a lip on the plate to lock the apparatus in the upor raised position. When raised, the lip describes a surface, the pointsof which are substantially radially equidistant from the handle pivot,so that the forces on the handle are directed only radially toward thepivot. The handle therefore has no tendency to move out of position.

When the handle is moved to the full down position, a spring which iscarried on the handle and which presses downwardly on the lift plate ismoved onto a flat on the lift plate to lock the handle in the downposition and to provide a downward bias on the gardening apparatus. Whendown, the flat also describes a radially equidistant surface about thehandle pivot, and the downward pressure of the spring on the lift plateassures that the gardening apparatus will be maintained in firm contactwith the ground. This is important since relatively small gardeningdevies often weigh very little and their ground engaging wheels mightnot otherwise engage the ground with sufficient force to shape theground (when the wheel is designed to do this) and/or drive theoperative elements of the gardening apparatus.

The easily and quickly adjustable fertilizer feed mechanism of thepresent invention includes an axially displaceable feed gear locatedgenerally in the feed chute leading from the bottom of the fertilizerhopper. The feed gear is rotated by the ground engaging wheel of thegardening apparatus, and as the gear teeth thereon rotate, they pick upand carry measured amounts of fertilizer to release it through the feedchute in synchronism with rotation of the ground engaging wheel.

When the feed rate is to be changed, a threaded adjusting knob on athreaded end of the feed gear drive shaft is turned thereon to shift theknob inwardly or outwardly along the drive shaft. An adjusting spring onthe side of the feed gear opposite the adjusting knob biases the feedgear against the adjusting knob so that the feed gear is shifted alongthe drive shaft with the adjusting knob. This moves the feed gearrapidly and quickly in a lateral direction with respect to the openingsto and from the fertilizer feed chute, exposing greater or smallerportions of the gear teeth to the fertilizer coming from the fertilizerhopper. This, in turn, increases or decreases, respectively, the rate atwhich the fertilizer is fed. This form of adjustment is much moreconvenient and much more rapid than prior devices, and is therefore muchbetter suited for use in small size gardens.

The universal hitch of the present invention attaches small gardeningimplements to most of the hitches commonly found on small gardentractors, and restricts lateral movement of the gardening implementsrelative to the tractor. The universal hitch provides a hitch arm and anadjustable hitch lock which are locked against rotation with respect toeach other by interengaging grooves and ribs. The hitch arm is attachedin the customary manner to the hitch on the tractor, and the oppositeend of the hitch arm is attached to the gardening implement. The ribsand grooves extend longitudinally between the implement and the tractorhitch, and the hitch lock is brought into firm engagement with thetracor hitch, and tightened and locked in position thereagainst. Thehitch lock has a flat edge along one side and a stepped opening withextended fingers on the opposite side. If the hitch is a cross barhitch, the flat edge of the hitch lock is locked against the tractorhitch. If the tractor uses a bar hitch, the hitch lock is reversed andmoved against the bar hitch to place the bar thereof within the steps ofthe hitch lock, with the hitch lock fingers engaging the sides of thebar hitch. If the tractor hitch is an elliptical plate, the hitch lockis similarly disposed as with the bar hitch, with the fingers of thehitch lock being brought up against the sides of the elliptical plate.Regardless of the type of tractor hitch, therefore, after the hitch lockis tightened in position, lateral movement of the gardening implementwith respect to the tractor is restricted.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide animproved planting and fertilizing apparatus; an apparatus which can beeasily and quickly raised or lowered by a manually operable handle whenattached to and drawn by a garden tractor; which includes a fertilizerfeed mechanism which can be easily and quickly adjusted to vary the rateof fertilizer feed; which incorporates a universal hitch to restrictlateral movement of the apparatus with respect to the tractor to whichit is attached, regardless of the type of hitch on the tractor; and toaccomplish the above objects and purposes in an uncomplicated,inexpensive, durable and reliable apparatus readily suited to wideutilization with small scale gardening apparatus.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description, the accompanying drawings and the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective fragmentary view of a gardening apparatusincorporating the features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic side view of the FIG. 1 apparatusshown in the down position, with the up position of the wheelillustrated in phantom;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side view, partially in section, of the liftingmechanism of the apparatus, shown in the down or ground engagingposition;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, showing commencement of the liftingoperation;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIGS. 3 and 4, showing the mechanism in thefully raised position;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the fertilizer feedingmechanism, taken generally on line 6--6 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the fertilizer feeding mechanism inthe full feeding rate position;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 with the mechanism adjusted to aminimum feed position;

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the universal hitch of the presentinvention;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the universal hitch attached to an ellipticalplate tractor hitch;

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the universal hitch attached to a cross bartractor hitch; and

FIG. 12 is a plan view of the universal hitch attached to a bar tractorhitch.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The planting and fertilizing apparatus 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 isdesigned to be drawn by a conventional small garden tractor 11.Apparatus 10, as illustrated, is equipped with a fertilizer hopper 12for dispensing a metered amount of fertilizer in a furrow prepared by aplow 14 as the tractor 11 pulls the apparatus 10 along the ground. Theapparatus 10 is supported at one end by the tractor 11, and supported atthe other by a wheel 15 which is attached thereto and engages the groundto shape the soil after the fertilizer has been dispensed. Wheel 15 alsodrives a belt 16 which drives a pulley 18 to operate a fertilizerfeeding mechanism 20 mounted at the bottom of the fertilizer hopper 12in the fertilizer feed chute 21. Chute 21 extends downwardly from thehopper 12 and feeding mechanism 20 to the plow 14 for deliveringfertilizer 22 from the hopper into the furrow prepared by the plow.

Small scale gardening devices such as the planting and fertilizingapparatus 10 may not have sufficient weight to keep wheel 15 in firmcontact with the ground, particularly since components such as wheel 15and hopper 12 are often made of lightweight plastic material. Withoutsufficient pressure, the inwardly curved surface of the wheel will notshape the ground as it rolls thereover, and may slide rather thanrotate, failing to drive the belt 16. On the other hand, provision mustbe made for lifting the wheel 15 out of contact with the ground, asdesired, such as at the ends of the rows being treated.

The present invention therefore includes a lifting mechanism whichprovides a resilient downward bias on the apparatus 10 when in the downposition, and lifts it out of contact with the ground when moved to theup position. The lifting apparatus includes a frame bracket 23 which maybe attached directly to the hitch on the tractor 11, or indirectlythereto by means of an adapter such as the universal hitch 25. Eitherway, the frame bracket 23 is supported rigidly with respect to verticalmovement relative to the tractor 11. A first or frame pivot 26 attachesthe frame 28 of apparatus 10 to frame bracket 23 for pivoting itupwardly and around the frame bracket on a substantially horizontal axisof rotation. The frame 28 is rigid, and supports a curved lift plate 30thereon along a path extending toward and away from the frame pivot 26.Lift plate 30 has a slot 31 therethrough, a plate lip 32 at the end ofthe slot nearest the frame pivot 26, and a flat 33 on the end of theslot farthest from the frame pivot 26, that is, on the end of the liftplate opposite the plate lip 32.

The apparatus 10 is raised and lowered about the frame pivot 26 by alifting handle 35 which moves through slot 31 and carries a pair ofbearings 36 on either side of the slot which cam against the lift plate30 to raise and lower the apparatus 10 as the handle 35 is rotated abouta handle pivot 38 to the frame bracket 23 for rotation on an axis ofrotation displaced from and substantially parallel to the axis ofrotation defined by the frame pivot 26. FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate theapparatus in the ground engaging or "down" position; FIG. 4 illustratesthe lifting handle 35 partially rotated about its pivot 38 toward theraised or "up" position; and FIG. 5 illustrates the apparatus in thefully raised or up position, the corresponding up position of wheel 15being shown in phantom in FIG. 2.

A spring 40 is wrapped about handle 35 and held thereon at its upper endby a washer 41 secured by a cotter pin 42. The lower end of the springbears against a second washer 44 which engages the top side of the liftplate 30. The washer 41 and cotter pin 42 maintain the spring 40 indownward compression against the second washer 44, which in turn pressesdownwardly on the lift plate 30 to bias the apparatus 10 downwardly whenin the down position, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3.

The plate lip 32 describes a surface about handle pivot 38, the variousparts of which are substantially radially equidistant therefrom when thehandle 35 is positioned thereadjacent. Flat 33 likewise describes asurface about handle pivot 38 whose parts are substantially radiallyequidistant therefrom when the handle 35 is positioned thereadjacent.Thus, when the handle and apparatus 10 are in the down position (FIGS. 2and 3), the washer 44 presses against flat 33 in a radial direction withrespect to lifting handle 35 and its pivot 38. This presses or biasesthe apparatus 10 downwardly without generating forces which might rotatehandle 35 out of position.

Similarly, when the bearings 36 reach the plate lip 32 in the upposition (FIG. 5), the lip presses only radially on the handle 35,through its pivot 38, so that the handle 35 and the apparatus 10 remainengaged in the up position. In practice, the plate lip 32 may be raisedslightly further, although still substantially radially equidistant fromthe handle pivot 38, to generate a light force on bearings 36 and handle35 in a clockwise rotational sense (as seen in FIG. 5). Such anovercenter condition will help lock the handle 35 and apparatus 10 inthe up position by urging the handle 35 against the forward end 46 ofthe slot 31.

FIGS. 6-8 illustrate details of the fertilizer feeding mechanism 20which may be located at the bottom of the hopper 12 on the top of thefertilizer feed chute 21 or at any convenient location in the fertilizerfeed chute. Wherever located, the fertilizer feeding mechanism 20 isprovided with an upwardly facing entry opening 48 and an oppositelydisposed exit opening 49 for receiving and releasing the fertilizer asit is metered by mechanism 20. Entry and exit openings 48 and 49 aretherefore in, and intercept, the flow path of the fertilizer 22 throughthe interior of the fertilizer feed chute 21.

In the preferred embodiment, openings 48 and 49 are provided in oppositesides of a bearing tube 50 (FIGS. 6-8) which slidably supports first andsecond feed gear extensions 52 and 53 within each end thereof.Extensions 52 and 53 are free to move axially within bearing tube 50.However, the extensions are also fixed to rotate therein on thehexagonally shaped portion 54 of a drive shaft 55 which is supported inthe center of the bearing tube 50 by the extensions 52 and 53. The driveshaft is received in the extensions and drives the extensions throughcomplementary hexagonally shaped extension openings 56 and 57. One end58 of shaft 55 extends through the adjacent end of bearing tube 50 andhas the pulley 18 mounted thereon for rotating shaft 55 in response torotation of wheel 15.

Mounted centrally on shaft 55 is a feed gear 60 having a centralhexagonally shaped opening 61 for receiving portion 54 of shaft 55therethrough. Feed gear 60 is located on shaft 55 between the first andsecond feed gear extensions 52 and 53, and the extensions and feed gearrotate in unison with shaft 55 due to the hexagonal shape of portion 54and the complementary openings 56, 57, and 61.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, feed gear 60 includes gear teeth 62 whichrotate past the entry opening 48 and around to the exit opening 49,carrying the fertilizer 22 around the bearing tube 50 in proportion tothe rate of rotation of wheel 15, and hence pulley 18, drive shaft 55,and feed gear 60.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the means by which the overall rate offertilizer feed may be adjusted. An adjusting spring 65 is mountedwithin the first feed gear extension 52 between washers 66 and 67 ateach end of the spring 65. These are mounted on the side of shaft 55near its end 58, so that washer 66 is pressed against the end of bearingtube 50 thereadjacent. The spring 65 is in compression, so washer 67drives the first feed gear extension 52 in the opposite direction towardthe threaded end 70 of drive shaft 55, opposite the shaft end 58. Inturn, the first feed gear extension 52 presses the feed gear 60 in thesame direction, and it presses the second feed gear extension 53 thesame way. These are held against spring 65 by a washer 72 and anadjusting knob 73 which is screwed or threaded onto the threaded end 70of drive shaft 55. Thus, as adjusting knob 73 is screwed onto shaft end70, it shifts the first and second feed gear extensions 52 and 53 andthe feed gear 60 toward the left as viewed in FIGS. 7 and 8, and viceversa.

When moved to approximately the full left position, as shown in FIG. 7,the entire feed gear 60 is placed opposite the entry and exit openings48 and 49, so that the gear teeth 62 are fully loaded with thefertilizer 22 for a maximum delivery rate. When knob 73 is screwedoutwardly, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the feed gear is shifted to theright and away from the openings 48 and 49, so that only small portionsof the feed gear teeth 62 are exposed, as desired by the operator, forreducing the rate of feed accordingly. By this means, the exact positionof the feed gear 60 with respect to the entry and exit openings 48 and49 may be quickly, easily, and accurately adjusted. This substantiallyincreases the convenience and utility of this mechanism for fertilizingrelatively small gardens, where frequent changes in the rate of feed aredesired as the apparatus 10 is moved from one crop to another.

FIGS. 9-12 illustrate details of the universal hitch 25 of the presentinvention. The hitch consists basically of two parts, an L-shaped hitcharm 75 and a substantially flat hitch lock plate 76. Arm 75 has ahorizontal portion 77 extending away from a vertically disposed portion79. Portion 79 is provided with holes 81 which may be used selectivelyfor attaching arm 75 to a gardening apparatus at any of several heights.The end of the horizontal portion 77 opposite the vertical portion 79has a hitch hole 82 for receiving a bolt 83 for hitching portion 77 tothe hitch on the tractor. FIGS. 10-12 illustrates three such tractorhitches 85-87. Hitch 85 is an elliptical plate hitch; hitch 86 is across bar hitch; hitch 87 is a straight bar hitch.

The horizontal portion 77 of hitch arm 75 has a pair of ribs 89 on oneside thereof and complementary grooves 90 on the opposite side. A slot91 is disposed between the ribs for receiving a locking bolt 92. Bolt 92also passes through an opening 94 in hitch lock 76 for tightening hitchlock 76 against hitch arm 75 for locking it in position thereon. Hitchlock 76 also has rib 75 and grooves 96 which are complementary to anddisposed opposite the corresponding ribs and grooves 89 and 90 on thehitch arm 75. As illustrated in FIG. 9, therefore, when the hitch lock76 is moved in position beneath the horizontal portion 77 of hitch arm75, the ribs 95 on the hitch lock 76 are received in the grooves 90 ofthe hitch arm 75. The ribs 95 can then be slid along in the grooves 90,bolt 92 similarly sliding in slot 91 to adjust the position of the hitchlock 76 on the hitch arm 75. In practice, as illustrated in FIGS. 10-12,the hitch lock is slid toward the hitch 85, 86, or 87, until firmlyengaged therewith, and the lock 76 is then tightened in position by bolt92.

Hitch lock 76 has a flat edge 98 on one side and a stepped opening 100on the opposite side. Opening 100 is defined by outwardly extendingfingers 101 at the sides thereof. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 10, theelliptical hitch 85 is engaged by the fingers 101. FIG. 12 shows the barhitch 87 engaged within the stepped opening 100. FIG. 11 illustratesthat a cross bar hitch 86 is engaged by reversing the hitch lock 76 toplace its flat edge 98 against the cross bar hitch 86. When thuspositioned, the ribs 95 are engaged within the grooves 90 to prevent thehitch lock 76 from rotating with respect to the hitch arm 75. Thisprevents the universal hitch 25 from rotating with respect to thetractor hitches 85-87, since the latter are firmly engaged by the hitchlock 76, as illustrated.

Of course, the hitch arm 75 may be inverted to accommodate othervertical positions of the gardening apparatus 10. Likewise, the hitchlock 76 may be placed on the other side of the horizontal portion 77 ofthe hitch arm 75, the grooves 96 in the hitch lock 76 then receiving theribs 89 on the hitch arm 75 to prevent rotation therebetween.

As may be seen, therefore, the present invention provides numerousadvantages. The gardening implement, such as the planting andfertilizing apparatus 10, may be quickly and easily raised and loweredby a simple movement of the lifting handle 35. When raised, the liftingmechanism is securely held in the up position. When lowered, theapparatus is pressed downwardly into firm engagement with the ground bythe spring 40. Wheel 15 thus firmly engages the ground for shaping itand driving belt 16, so that a variety of powered devices, such asseeders (not illustrated) or fertilizer feeders (such as mechanism 20)may be synchronously driven with movement of the apparatus across theground. The fertilizer feeding mechanism 20 itself is quickly, easily,and accurately adjustable to provide accurate and precise feeding offertilizer and to permit frequent adjustment as the user advances fromone crop to another in a small garden. Finally, the universal hitch 25permits a wide variety of gardening implements to be drawn by manydifferent small garden tractors, regardless of the type of hitch on thetractor, so that the gardening implement can be restricted againstlateral movement with respect to the tractor. The restriction againstlateral movement is provided by the hitch lock 76 which engages thetractor hitch at at least two laterally displaced points thereon to lockthe universal hitch 25 in position on the tractor hitch.

While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute preferredembodiments of this invention, it is to be understood that the inventionis not limited to these precise forms of apparatus, and that changes maybe made therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. For use with a gardening apparatus, a universalhitch for attaching the gardening apparatus to a garden tractor hitchfor supporting the apparatus and restricting lateral movement thereofrelative to the tractor, comprising:(a) a hitch arm having asubstantially horizontal portion, (b) a hitch lock for engaging thetractor hitch simultaneously at at least two laterally displaced pointsthereon for restricting lateral movement with respect thereto, (c) saidhitch lock having a substantially flat surface on one end thereof, (d)means forming a stepped opening on the end of said hitch lock oppositesaid one end thereof, the sides of said stepped opening defining a pairof oppositely disposed outwardly extending fingers, and (e) means forlocking said hitch lock on said hitch arm portion in engagement with andpositioned against the tractor hitch at said at least two laterallydisplaced points for restricting lateral movement with respect to saiduniversal hitch regardless of the configuration of the tractor hitch. 2.The hitch of claim 1 further comprising:(a) means forming at least onegroove extending along said hitch arm portion on one of the top orbottom sides thereof, (b) means forming a complementary rib on theopposite side of said hitch arm portion for each said groove, (c) meansforming ribs in said hitch lock complementary to said groove in saidhitch arm portion and receivable therein when placed thereadjacent, (d)means forming complementary grooves in said hitch lock on the oppositeside from the ribs therein, said hitch lock on the opposite side fromthe ribs therein, said hitch lock grooves also being complementary tosaid ribs on said hitch arm portion for receiving said ribs therein whenplaced thereadjacent, said ribs and grooves preventing relative rotationbetween said hitch lock and said hitch arm when interengaged, and (e)means for locking said hitch lock on said hitch arm portion with theribs and grooves thereof interengaged.
 3. The hitch of claim 2 whereinsaid means for locking said hitch lock on said hitch arm portionincludes means for adjusting the position of said hitch lock on saidhitch arm portion by releasing said locking means, sliding said ribsalong said grooves, and then again locking said hitch lock in positionon said hitch arm.